"Tammy," a raunchy, but feel-good road trip comedy, pays homage to the ultimate gal-pal road-trip flick, "Thelma and Louise." McCarthy and her husband, Ben Falcone (who also directed the film), wrote the script, and it's produced by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, two of cinema's most successful experts in slapstick comedies. "Tammy" aims high, and it is a departure for both of its stars, Melissa McCarthy and Susan Sarandon.
Tammy (McCarthy) is a thirtysomething fast-food worker who finds herself at a crossroads when she loses her job and catches her husband with another woman all in the same day. Tammy is ready for a major change and decides to finally ditch small-town Illinois life and go on a road trip. Tammy's hard-drinking, bawdy and no-nonsense grandma Pearl (Susan Sarandon) sees the trip as her own opportunity for adventure and insists on going along. Tammy initially refuses to bring along Pearl but gives in when she realizes she needs Pearl's car and money to fund the trip.
Tammy and Pearl leave Illinois and set out in the direction of Niagara Falls, a place Pearl visited as a child. Tammy lets loose when they stop at a lake resort where Tammy shows off her sweet jet ski moves. Continuing on their journey, Tammy and Pearl find romance in Louisville, Kentucky, when they meet an uninhibited father and his more stable son (Gary Cole and Mark Duplass) in a local bar/restaurant. Tammy and Pearl bicker about the past, indulge in plenty of day drinking, carry out reckless behavior and have a few encounters with the police.
Tammy gets tired of Pearl getting drunk every day, and the two air out their dirty laundry at a party at their cousin Lenore's (Kathy Bates) house. Lenore has a come-to-Jesus talk with Tammy and suggests Tammy quit whining about her life and go after what she wants in life.
The plot wanders a bit too far off course sometimes and some jokes fall flat, but the movie's positive message stays strong: It's never too late to go after what you want. The normally glam Sarandon plays against type as a plain-looking, alcoholic grandma. McCarthy goes for big laughs and taps into her improvisational background with Tammy's in-your-face attitude and many pratfalls. "Tammy" is backed by an all-star cast, including Bates, Allison Janney and Dan Aykroyd.
I thoroughly enjoyed the eclectic road-trip soundtrack, which features tunes from the Allman Brothers, the Outfield, Willie Nelson, Salt-N-Pepa and Kool & The Gang.
DVD extras include a gag reel, and the DVD/Blu-ray combo includes Tammy's road-trip checklist, jet ski mash-ups and a gag reel.
Film: 3 Yaps Extras: 3 Yaps
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8d6Bpl2eAo&w=560&h=315]
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